Visual search in a letter-canceling task reexamined.

Abstract
REEXAMINES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEARCH TIME AND NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TARGETS SEARCHED FOR IN A LETTER-CANCELING TASK. 4 ADULT SS SEARCHED LETTER ARRAYS AND CROSSED OUT TARGET LETTERS WHEN THE TARGET SUBSETS INCLUDED 1, 2, 3, 4, OR 5 DIFFERENT LETTERS. THE RESULTS WHICH SHOWED LITTLE INCREASE IN SEARCH TIME FOR THE VARIOUS TARGET SUBSETS, WERE NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH THE FINDINGS OF I. T. KAPLAN, ET AL. (SEE 40:5) IN WHICH SEARCH TIME INCREASED MARKEDLY AND IN PROPORTION TO THE NUMBER OF TARGETS IN A SUBSET. KAPLAN INTERPRETED THE INCREASE IN SEARCH TIME TO REPRESENT A CHANGE IN THE TEMPORAL SEQUENCE OF SEARCH OPERATIONS FOR TARGET LETTERS COMMITTED TO IMMEDIATE MEMORY. THIS INTERPRETATION WAS QUESTIONED. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)